Jose Cuervo Especial Silver & Gold

Jose Cuervo Especial is categorized as a mixto tequila because it is produced from 51 % blue weber agave and 49 % sugar cane. Proximo Spirits, the brand's parent company in North America, sometimes calls it a "blended tequila." The sugar from agave and other sources, such as sugar cane, are combined, fermented, and distilled to create one product. Jose Cuervo Especial is the brand's best-selling product. It has been formulated to enhance the flavor of a Margarita, and this is precisely how the brand would like you to consume it. The Silver is unaged. The Gold is a joven-style tequila made from a blend of reposado tequila (rested in for a minimum of two months in oak vats or barrels) and younger tequilas, and probably some caramel coloring and are bottled at 80 proof (40 % ABV) for the United States. 

Spirits Definition - Mixto Tequila

“Tequila may be fermented and distilled from a minimum of 51% agave juice and up to 49% non-agave sugars. It may be bulk exported and bottled outside of Mexico. This style of tequila, originally called mixto, makes up the great majority of tequila consumed outside of Mexico. Although the term does not appear on the label, if a product label does not read “100% agave” in some way, then it is, in fact, mixto tequila.”

Nickles, Jane. 2022 Certified Specialist of Spirits Study Guide (p. 140). Kindle Edition.

Jose Cuervo Tradicional Plata & Reposado

Unlike Especial, the Tradicional label offers consumers an entry-level 100 % agave option from Cuervo, meaning that 100 % of the fermented sugars came from agave, not other sources like sugar cane or corn. As the tequila category continues to grow, especially in the United States, consumers are shifting their preferences from mixto to 100 % agave tequila. Many tequila drinkers must realize that Cuervo offers a 100 % agave option, even though the Tradicional label is supposed to represent the Cuervo family's original tequila recipe dating back 200 years. Tradicional has a unique bottling process, finishing the liquid at freezing temperatures to preserve the purity of its flavor. It is an excellent option for mixing classic tequila cocktails like Margarita, Paloma, or Cantarito.

The Plata label is distilled in copper stills from 100 % blue agave, is unaged, and is bottled at 80 proof (40 % ABV) for the United States. It won a gold (G) medal at the 2019 San Francisco World Spirits Competition (SFWSC), one of the only tequilas under $30 judged so highly.

The Reposado label is distilled in copper stills from 100 % blue agave, rested in charred oak for at least two months, and bottled at 80 proof (40 % ABV) in the United States. If you are bored of Margaritas, try the Reposado in a Mexican Mule with ginger beer or the brand's official Muletta cocktail, which is a twist on a mule with Angostura Bitters.

Jose Cuervo Tradicional Añejo

The Tradicional Añejo label is distilled in copper stills from 100 % blue agave, aged in charred American oak barrels, finished in Irish single malt whiskey barrels, and bottled at 80 proof (40 % ABV) for the United States. It is considered the first marriage of Irish whiskey with a tequila distillery, and It's the first añejo tequila from Jose Cuervo Tradicional in 225 years. Proximo Spirits, the brand's parent company in North America, also owns the Bushmills Irish whiskey brand, so it is safe to assume these barrels come from Bushmills. This product makes a great Old Fashioned for the price.

Jose Cuervo Tradicional Cristalino

The Tradicional Cristalino label is a proprietary blend of Tradicional Reposado, aged two months in charred oak, and Reserva de la Familia Extra Añejo, aged a minimum of 3 years in American and French oak barrels. After aging, the final blend is charcoal-filtered to remove its color while preserving the intensity and purity of flavors. This product is bottled crystal clear at 80 proof (40 % ABV) for the United States and is the perfect entry-level Cristalino, especially for cocktails.

Jose Cuervo Reserva De La Familia Platino

The Reserva de la Familia Platino is distilled from 100 % fully mature agave using only the inner portion, or the heart, of the agave piña. This product is unaged and bottled at 80 proof (40 % ABV) for the United States.

Jose Cuervo Reserva De La Familia Reposado

The Reposado is distilled from 100 % fully mature agave using only the inner portion, or the heart, of the agave piña. This product is aged in three different types of wood and barrel toasting styles. The three distinct woods are:

• Heavily charred American oak barrels

• Lightly charred American oak barrels

• Lightly charred French oak barrels

The heavily toasted American oak contributes baked spices, while lightly toasted American and French oaks bring mellow flavors of toffee and vanilla. Each tequila is aged separately before being blended by the Maestro Tequilero and bottled at 80 proof (40 % ABV) for the United States.

Jose Cuervo Reserva De La Familia Extra Añejo

The Reserva de la Familia Extra Añejo distilled from 100 % fully mature agave using only the inner portion, or the heart, of the agave piña sourced from the family estate's richest volcanic soils. The agave piñas are cooked at La Rojeña distillery in Tequila in Jalisco for 48 hours: 36 hours by direct vapor and 12 hours with residual heat. The fermented agave juice is double-distilled in copper pot stills. The tequila is aged in a combination of small, new American, and French oak barrels charred at different levels and bottled at 80 proof (40 % ABV) for the United States. It won a double gold (GG) medal at the 2019 San Fransisco World Spirits Competition (SFWSC). The bottle is handmade, individually numbered, and sealed with wax. Each year, the Cuervo family commissions a Mexican-based artist to design original artwork for the collector's box. The Reserva de la Familia Extra Añejo is best enjoyed neat, preferably in a Glencairn or snifter glass.